MPs recall Kimemia in graft probe

Head of Public Service Mr Francis Kimemia. Mr Kimemia was Monday recalled before a parliamentary committee to respond to corruption allegations by the anti-graft agency. 

By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com  And ALPHONCE SHIUNDU ashiundu@ke.nationmedia.com, Monday, May 27  2013 

In Summary

• One MP who spoke to the Nation said EACC was the sole complainant. “They accused him of blocking the sacking of Kenya Airports Authority managing director” the MP said.

Civil Service boss Francis Kimemia was Monday recalled before a parliamentary committee to respond to corruption allegations by the anti-graft agency.

The closed-door session at Nairobi’s Continental House was the first of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cabinet nominations to be held in camera.

Monday’s meeting was a follow-up of another vetting session of the nominee by the committee on Friday.

The Friday meeting lasted four hours. Monday, the meeting began at 7.30am and went on until 11am.

Cumulatively, Mr Kimemia’s nomination has been investigated for nine hours.

The complainant was the EACC which raised issues about a project to expand the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the scandal over the purchase of an embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

In the Tokyo deal, Sh1.1 billion was lost. It is alleged that one of the public servants involved had complained that Mr Kimemia had interfered with the investigations into the embassy scandal.

He was also questioned about the Sh56 billion greenfields airport project, said the MP who spoke off-the-record.

One MP who spoke to the Nation said EACC was the sole complainant. “They accused him of blocking the sacking of Kenya Airports Authority managing director” the MP said.

The MP added that EACC was of the view that Mr Kimemia ought to have taken steps against Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Thuita Mwangi before Mr Mwangi obtained court orders.

The MP, who spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to breach House rules, said it was not clear whether Mr Kimemia had the authority to take some of the action EACC thought he ought to have taken and the whole issue was “neither here nor there”.

Other sources said Mr Kimemia had been questioned about complaints by some PSs that he used his office to try and influence awards of tenders.

The Nation could not independently verify the information. But the committee was of the view that the EACC was still in the early stages of the investigations and they were yet to communicate to Mr Kimemia.

When reached for comment on the specifics of the allegations against him, Mr Kimemia declined to comment. He said he was in a meeting and promised to call back.

“You don’t want me discussing those details (of the meeting with the parliamentary committee) while I am in this meeting,” said Mr Kimemia by phone.

He had not done so by time of going to press.

Calls to the EACC Chief executive Halakhe Waqo went unanswered. A public relations officer promised to give the commission’s response, but had not done so by the time of going to press.

Ms Irene Keino, a commissioner with the EACC advised the Nation to talk to Mr Waqo because he is the one who appeared before the MPs.

She added: “Our Act bars us from sharing information until the matter goes to court”.

Ms Keino said she was in Naivasha at another meeting,

Though on Friday the meeting was open to the public and the media, on Monday the committee locked the public out. The chairman of the House committee on Administration and National Security, Mr Asman Kamama, was also evasive about the specific allegations against Mr Kimemia.

The committee’s explanation about the closed-door hearing was that EACC had sought to have the public locked out of the meeting after it said the information it had supplied to the committee was confidential and the basis of ongoing investigations regarding the nominee.

“We wanted to discuss the arising issues when members are fresh hence the early morning meeting. We also wanted to have time to start compiling the report, that is why we met them very early, it was not out mischief,” said Mr Kamama.

The Constitution prescribes that committees can only lock the public out of their meetings based on the permission of the Speaker, who has to show “justifiable reasons”.

Mr Kamama said the committee had, after the session with the EACC, gotten “sufficient information” on the allegations against Mr Kimemia, and that all these will be contained in the report for the House to make a determination on whether to approve his nomination or reject him.

“Parliament will decide the fate of Mr Kimemia,” said Mr Kamama, a former district administrator.

Mr Kamama said the committee had not yet decided whether the allegations under the EACC’s investigation were enough to propose his rejection to the National Assembly. He said that decision will have to be arrived at the committee meeting.

The report on the suitability of Mr Kimemia for the powerful position of Secretary to the Cabinet is set to be tabled before Parliament this afternoon.

The EACC’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Halakhe Waqo was questioned at an early morning session with members of the committee at Parliament’s Continental House.

The meeting kicked off at 7am with the commission responding to questions concerning the letter before Mr Kimemia was given a chance to respond.

The commission is opposed to the appointment of Mr Kimemia who has been nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta to continue holding the powerful position. Mr Kimemia’s name was forwarded to Parliament for vetting in accordance with constitutional procedures.

It is at this stage that the Anti-Corruption Commission raised a red-flag, urging against his endorsement by the committee. In a letter to the committee, the commission claims the nominee is being investigated for mega corruption hence is unfit to hold the post.

-Additional reporting Alphonce Shiundu